"A rare gem no one knows about"

Cobra Triangle was a game introduced to me by my cousin a long, long time ago in a galaxy far away. He said it was really cool. He never did tell me how he'd heard of it, or where he got it..........

The game is centered around events that are rumored to have happened in the Bermuda Triangle, but in an odd arcade form. You have control over a red boat, I believe it is titled "The Cobra". The objective varies from stage to stage, ranging from simply reaching the finish line to taking out a huge sea creature "boss". And many of these tasks are pressing the limits of true gaming difficulty.

I have played through the game many times (yes, people, there is an ending, after 26 taxing stages), and set some difficult-to-break records of my own. This is my analysis:

Story_
7?/10

There is no real story to this game, it's just supposed to be kind of a given that you're in the Bermuda Triangle, performing various missions. The beginning and end have absolutely no storyline dialogue in any form, so you're sort of free to make up what happened. For any game, this is kind of a nice touch. Therefore, I'm giving points for originality on the storyline.

Graphics_
5/10

Remember the 80s? Graphics weren't always supposed to lead the games. You do see generic backgrounds of grasslands, deserts, and snow (much like you would see if you played an old arcade game). The enemies / obstacles don't grab your attention, and all your firepower other than the missiles is represented by a Mega Man-style elliptical bullet. However, there is one piece of graphical wonder that stands out for this game: the bosses. Each one is highly detailed for an 8-bit game. Though they support almost no animations whatsoever, their detail is pretty amazing. Therefore, the graphics are NOT supportive of the review.

Music/Sound_
8/10

I listen to a ton of music every day (I'm listening to some right now), and I know what sounds like a talented musical score. The music (whenever it decides to show up) is something that will stick with you for quite some time. I enjoyed the opening tune alot, and the critical theme when you have 15 seconds or less to complete the stage, makes you want to hurry and reach the end. The sound effects themselves are kind of generic, but how much can you ask for from an NES game? But the music, in my opinion, overrides the sound effects, leaving no room for complaint.

Challenge_
10/10

It took me eons to conquer this game for the first time, and now the challenge isn't near as much, but if you're new to this game, you will find it hard not to beat your TV with your controller. Several of the more challenging tasks include avoiding the absolutely EVIL whirlpools, fending off the invading boats from stealing your swimming people (like I said, you make up the storylines), and of course, leaping the chasms between waterfalls. Also, many of the bosses can be difficult to tackle.

Playability_
9/10

Some people keep bashing the control system on this game, but they are obviously trying too hard. The boat handles nicely, just turn one way or the other (kinda like RC Pro Am). The accelerator and attack buttons are right next to each other, making it easy to do both at the same time (which you WILL be doing most of the time). Just about anyone can pick up this game, but it will take alot of time to master.

Replay Value_
7/10

What is it with this game? I've beaten it so many times, yet I still come back to it. What is it that brings me back time and time again? It may just be the idea of being able to conquer the "Jump The Waterfalls" stages without even really trying. Or it may be that Cobra Triangle is one of those arcade-ish gems that you always wanted to put your high score initials on.

Overall_
9/10

Above all, Cobra Triangle is an obscure, yet highly entertaining piece of gaming that I am proud to own. If only it received the more attention it deserves...........

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/18/04